Gall bladder issues
Discussion
Hello,
Looking for any wisdom that might be available. My wife has been in pain for months and has visited just about every department going within the NHS from a colonoscopy, gynaecology etc. Her MRI from earlier this week has shown that she has a gallbladder issue. I don't know if she has gallstones but the gallbladder is definitely inflamed and is the cause of her pain.
The consultation with the Dr to confirm the above is imminent, though my research has indicated that surgery to remove the gallbladder is the preferred option by Western medicine to most gallbladder issues.
I'm of the opinion that any surgery, especially that involving the removal of an organ is best avoided wherever possible.
Does anyone have any recommendations on how to deal with gallbladder issues and has anyone got any remedies other than surgery that have helped?
Thanks in advance
Looking for any wisdom that might be available. My wife has been in pain for months and has visited just about every department going within the NHS from a colonoscopy, gynaecology etc. Her MRI from earlier this week has shown that she has a gallbladder issue. I don't know if she has gallstones but the gallbladder is definitely inflamed and is the cause of her pain.
The consultation with the Dr to confirm the above is imminent, though my research has indicated that surgery to remove the gallbladder is the preferred option by Western medicine to most gallbladder issues.
I'm of the opinion that any surgery, especially that involving the removal of an organ is best avoided wherever possible.
Does anyone have any recommendations on how to deal with gallbladder issues and has anyone got any remedies other than surgery that have helped?
Thanks in advance
My mum had gallstones. She ended up in A&E with them.
She had to make changes to her diet, however she was told it could come back whenever. If if she didn't eat the trigger foods.
She had one flare up before she was able to have hers removed.
I don't think she's had any problems since they were removed. Operation wasn't too bad either. Think she needed two weeks off work.
She had to make changes to her diet, however she was told it could come back whenever. If if she didn't eat the trigger foods.
She had one flare up before she was able to have hers removed.
I don't think she's had any problems since they were removed. Operation wasn't too bad either. Think she needed two weeks off work.
It all depends on the state of the gall-bladder, if it's not functioning properly, has gall stones and is blocked there's not really another option but removal. If it's in a fairly healthy state then I'd recommend avoiding removal, try to change diet and find triggers for the attacks. You can try the numerous facebook remedies (someone will suggest apple cider vinegar). The nerve pain caused by a faulty gallbladder is unbearable - it will stop you in your tracks and leave you in agony for 2-3 hours at a time. Removal is usually a relief but the side-effects of gall-bladder removal are often underplayed by surgeons - the majority of patients don't suffer any but it can cause digestive problems and IBS symptoms.
OH had hers removed a few years ago.
Was in hospital for a week leading up to it (emergency admission with pancreatitis where a gallstone had blocked the pancreas) and a couple of days after.
She is careful with fatty foods, but otherwise no change. Although... Prior to the op she had a food intolerance that we never managed to work out what it was which has now disappeared.
Was in hospital for a week leading up to it (emergency admission with pancreatitis where a gallstone had blocked the pancreas) and a couple of days after.
She is careful with fatty foods, but otherwise no change. Although... Prior to the op she had a food intolerance that we never managed to work out what it was which has now disappeared.
I had gall stones about 5 years ago, culminating in 2 trips to A&E , one in an Ambulance having been dosed with Morphine. 
.
Had my Gall bladder removed in Feb 2017 and have had no problems since.
Whether by coincidence, fatty foods go straight through me but just not having that pain is worth it.
The first serious incident, I was at home alone and given the location and severity of the pain, I really thought I was having a heart attack.
Seriously lead on the floor asking myself if this is how I check out?
Never under estimate the level of pain from gall stones.
A few women have told me that it's worse than child birth, except one who had had triplets.
.Had my Gall bladder removed in Feb 2017 and have had no problems since.
Whether by coincidence, fatty foods go straight through me but just not having that pain is worth it.
The first serious incident, I was at home alone and given the location and severity of the pain, I really thought I was having a heart attack.
Seriously lead on the floor asking myself if this is how I check out?
Never under estimate the level of pain from gall stones.
A few women have told me that it's worse than child birth, except one who had had triplets.
I had my gall bladder out last year, I kept putting it off and putting it off.
Everything went fine, out the same day, little bit of discomfort for a couple of days, (Not too bad), been fine since. (NHS)
Three tiny marks you can hardly see.
There are You tube vids of the operation.
I'm 67 btw.
Everything went fine, out the same day, little bit of discomfort for a couple of days, (Not too bad), been fine since. (NHS)
Three tiny marks you can hardly see.
There are You tube vids of the operation.
I'm 67 btw.
I have had issues for months with mine, I spent time in hospital and had bad acid reflux etc. Finally had it removed 2 weeks ago and the difference was night and day! So far there have been no side effects and I’m up and about as normal now. It was done via keyhole surgery so less invasive. In and out in a day. I did use the private hospital to have it done as the NHS was taking ages to do anything once they had me up and about again. The current climate compounding delays etc.
The only criteria I met for getting them was being over 40, I’m 41.
The only criteria I met for getting them was being over 40, I’m 41.
Jazzy Jag said:
I had gall stones about 5 years ago, culminating in 2 trips to A&E , one in an Ambulance having been dosed with Morphine. .
Had my Gall bladder removed in Feb 2017 and have had no problems since.
Whether by coincidence, fatty foods go straight through me but just not having that pain is worth it.
The first serious incident, I was at home alone and given the location and severity of the pain, I really thought I was having a heart attack.
Seriously lead on the floor asking myself if this is how I check out?
Never under estimate the level of pain from gall stones.
A few women have told me that it's worse than child birth, except one who had had triplets.
Yup, the first time I had it I was driving and thought if it gets any worse I'm going to have to chuck the car off the road and hope someone stops..Had my Gall bladder removed in Feb 2017 and have had no problems since.
Whether by coincidence, fatty foods go straight through me but just not having that pain is worth it.
The first serious incident, I was at home alone and given the location and severity of the pain, I really thought I was having a heart attack.
Seriously lead on the floor asking myself if this is how I check out?
Never under estimate the level of pain from gall stones.
A few women have told me that it's worse than child birth, except one who had had triplets.
Was misdiagnosed as acid reflux for a decade (America, not the NHS). Rarely had an attack, but you'd be surprised to hear that Rennies and Gaviscon didn't quite do the trick! I remember dragging myself into the car at 2 AM to go to the 24hr Tesco for a load of antacids or whatever they are, and throwing up in their car park.
If you keep an eye on trigger foods you can minimise the attacks, I've gone for a year plus at a stretch without one. But I definitely don't regret the surgery. One side effect is that sometimes after a greasy meal I might find it's best to be near a toilet for the next hour or two just in case, but I haven't made any changes to my diet. Just occasionally have to go to the loo a little quicker.
It's not like you're walking round the supermarket and suddenly your arse explodes, more, if you're driving on the motorway and you need the loo and there's a services 10 miles away and 40 miles away, probably best to go for the nearest one. I used to travel a lot for work to some fairly remote/backwards places so took some insta-mmodiums with me, just in case.
On the flip side, my dad has had one or two attacks, but he's had quite a lot of surgery in that general area over the last few years, so he's decided for now he won't have the surgery, but if they get more frequent or severe, he'll have it then, and he's happy with is choice.
Thanks for all the comments from everyone. Wife is still waiting for a consultation with a Dr to tell her officially what the issue is. So far she is only going off what the technician administering the MRI could see.
She is considering doing a gallbladder cleanse which involves 4 days of drinking apple juice to help break down any stones (not confirmed she has any until seen Dr) followed by drinking oil and epsom salts which helps pass stones and release pressure. She is concerned though as it's not recommended if you have very large gallstones, which she doesn't know one way or another as she has to wait 8 weeks just to be told what they saw on the MRI! Bit of a catch 22 as the cleanse could help or could make it worse.
It's reassuring that most feedback from surgery has been fairly positive but I just can't ignore that voice in my head that avoiding surgery where possible should be the default position. Something has to be causing the gallbladder issue and although removing the gallbladder will alleviate the pain it may be possible to also alleviate the pain by targeting the root cause of the issue, if that's even possible. Of course if there is no alternative then surgery may be required.
All a bit up in the air until we hear what the Dr has to say.
She is considering doing a gallbladder cleanse which involves 4 days of drinking apple juice to help break down any stones (not confirmed she has any until seen Dr) followed by drinking oil and epsom salts which helps pass stones and release pressure. She is concerned though as it's not recommended if you have very large gallstones, which she doesn't know one way or another as she has to wait 8 weeks just to be told what they saw on the MRI! Bit of a catch 22 as the cleanse could help or could make it worse.
It's reassuring that most feedback from surgery has been fairly positive but I just can't ignore that voice in my head that avoiding surgery where possible should be the default position. Something has to be causing the gallbladder issue and although removing the gallbladder will alleviate the pain it may be possible to also alleviate the pain by targeting the root cause of the issue, if that's even possible. Of course if there is no alternative then surgery may be required.
All a bit up in the air until we hear what the Dr has to say.
Bumblebee7 said:
Thanks for all the comments from everyone. Wife is still waiting for a consultation with a Dr to tell her officially what the issue is. So far she is only going off what the technician administering the MRI could see.
She is considering doing a gallbladder cleanse which involves 4 days of drinking apple juice to help break down any stones (not confirmed she has any until seen Dr) followed by drinking oil and epsom salts which helps pass stones and release pressure. She is concerned though as it's not recommended if you have very large gallstones, which she doesn't know one way or another as she has to wait 8 weeks just to be told what they saw on the MRI! Bit of a catch 22 as the cleanse could help or could make it worse.
It's reassuring that most feedback from surgery has been fairly positive but I just can't ignore that voice in my head that avoiding surgery where possible should be the default position. Something has to be causing the gallbladder issue and although removing the gallbladder will alleviate the pain it may be possible to also alleviate the pain by targeting the root cause of the issue, if that's even possible. Of course if there is no alternative then surgery may be required.
All a bit up in the air until we hear what the Dr has to say.
In my honest, non medical experience, passing a Gall stone is not something that I would want to do or experience the pain.She is considering doing a gallbladder cleanse which involves 4 days of drinking apple juice to help break down any stones (not confirmed she has any until seen Dr) followed by drinking oil and epsom salts which helps pass stones and release pressure. She is concerned though as it's not recommended if you have very large gallstones, which she doesn't know one way or another as she has to wait 8 weeks just to be told what they saw on the MRI! Bit of a catch 22 as the cleanse could help or could make it worse.
It's reassuring that most feedback from surgery has been fairly positive but I just can't ignore that voice in my head that avoiding surgery where possible should be the default position. Something has to be causing the gallbladder issue and although removing the gallbladder will alleviate the pain it may be possible to also alleviate the pain by targeting the root cause of the issue, if that's even possible. Of course if there is no alternative then surgery may be required.
All a bit up in the air until we hear what the Dr has to say.
Mine was 17mm with some smaller free floating parts.
IIRC the pain experienced is when a small part of the stone is blocking or getting squeezed from the gall bladder so deliberately try to induce that process could be a seriously bad day ahead.
Bumblebee7 said:
She is considering doing a gallbladder cleanse which involves 4 days of drinking apple juice to help break down any stones (not confirmed she has any until seen Dr) followed by drinking oil and epsom salts which helps pass stones and release pressure. She is concerned though as it's not recommended if you have very large gallstones, which she doesn't know one way or another as she has to wait 8 weeks just to be told what they saw on the MRI! Bit of a catch 22 as the cleanse could help or could make it worse.
The idea that a "cleanse" will do anything to resolve gallstones is nonsense. This is what gallstones look like:
They are hard accretions of bile salts not some tiny bit of sludge that can get flushed out. The idea that drinking a bit apple juice is going to make the slightest bit of difference is fantasy. In similar threads to this the vast majority of posters report very few long terms issues after the surgery, apart from a slight intolerance to fats in food. Any surgery carries a risk of course but personally I was very glad to be rid of the crippling abdominal pain which would randomly strike. Three days after the keyhole surgery I was back at my desk.
Mr Pointy said:
Bumblebee7 said:
She is considering doing a gallbladder cleanse which involves 4 days of drinking apple juice to help break down any stones (not confirmed she has any until seen Dr) followed by drinking oil and epsom salts which helps pass stones and release pressure. She is concerned though as it's not recommended if you have very large gallstones, which she doesn't know one way or another as she has to wait 8 weeks just to be told what they saw on the MRI! Bit of a catch 22 as the cleanse could help or could make it worse.
The idea that a "cleanse" will do anything to resolve gallstones is nonsense. This is what gallstones look like:They are hard accretions of bile salts not some tiny bit of sludge that can get flushed out. The idea that drinking a bit apple juice is going to make the slightest bit of difference is fantasy. In similar threads to this the vast majority of posters report very few long terms issues after the surgery, apart from a slight intolerance to fats in food. Any surgery carries a risk of course but personally I was very glad to be rid of the crippling abdominal pain which would randomly strike. Three days after the keyhole surgery I was back at my desk.
I have had gall bladder issues for about 8 years . My triggers are oily fatty foods especially if mixed with potatoes. Things like mayonnaise are the worst , fish and chips , lamb kebabs and mashed potatoes ( butter, cream and milk !)
They would have removed it but I have other health issues that makes having a general anaesthetic pretty risky .
I am just starting a healthy lifestyle plan to lower the risks of the anaesthetic that will enable the removal of the gallbladder. My last episode resulted in an 8 day stay in hospital. Not the best place to be during the current pandemic.
They would have removed it but I have other health issues that makes having a general anaesthetic pretty risky .
I am just starting a healthy lifestyle plan to lower the risks of the anaesthetic that will enable the removal of the gallbladder. My last episode resulted in an 8 day stay in hospital. Not the best place to be during the current pandemic.
grumpy52 said:
I have had gall bladder issues for about 8 years . My triggers are oily fatty foods especially if mixed with potatoes. Things like mayonnaise are the worst , fish and chips , lamb kebabs and mashed potatoes ( butter, cream and milk !)
They would have removed it but I have other health issues that makes having a general anaesthetic pretty risky .
I am just starting a healthy lifestyle plan to lower the risks of the anaesthetic that will enable the removal of the gallbladder. My last episode resulted in an 8 day stay in hospital. Not the best place to be during the current pandemic.
8 days? wow. I think I was in for 3 and that was long enough. Just realised, I was in with the pain for longer than I was in for the surgery! Hope you manage to get yourself healthy enough for the anaeaeaieasheahetic to be safe.They would have removed it but I have other health issues that makes having a general anaesthetic pretty risky .
I am just starting a healthy lifestyle plan to lower the risks of the anaesthetic that will enable the removal of the gallbladder. My last episode resulted in an 8 day stay in hospital. Not the best place to be during the current pandemic.
Jazzy Jag said:
Mr Pointy said:
Bumblebee7 said:
She is considering doing a gallbladder cleanse which involves 4 days of drinking apple juice to help break down any stones (not confirmed she has any until seen Dr) followed by drinking oil and epsom salts which helps pass stones and release pressure. She is concerned though as it's not recommended if you have very large gallstones, which she doesn't know one way or another as she has to wait 8 weeks just to be told what they saw on the MRI! Bit of a catch 22 as the cleanse could help or could make it worse.
The idea that a "cleanse" will do anything to resolve gallstones is nonsense. This is what gallstones look like:They are hard accretions of bile salts not some tiny bit of sludge that can get flushed out. The idea that drinking a bit apple juice is going to make the slightest bit of difference is fantasy. In similar threads to this the vast majority of posters report very few long terms issues after the surgery, apart from a slight intolerance to fats in food. Any surgery carries a risk of course but personally I was very glad to be rid of the crippling abdominal pain which would randomly strike. Three days after the keyhole surgery I was back at my desk.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone just to have it out.
In the meantime, she should eat healthy stuff only. Avoid rich and fatty foods which in many cases can increase the likelihood of attacks.
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